A Better Way to Work on Mac
Over 16 years of building on macOS, I’ve found a small set of apps that genuinely improve how I work every day. Not every app that promises productivity actually delivers — these ones do.
Productivity
Things 3 — The best task manager on any platform. Clean design, fast keyboard shortcuts, and it never gets in the way. I’ve tried everything else. Nothing comes close.
Raycast — Replaced Spotlight entirely. App switching, clipboard history, quick calculations, and custom scripts all from one keyboard shortcut.
1Password — Secure, fast, and deeply integrated into macOS and Safari. Strong unique passwords for everything with zero friction.
Development
iTerm2 — A terminal that actually keeps up with you. Split panes, search, autocomplete, and full customisation. Read the full setup guide →
VS Code — My daily editor. Fast, extensible, and has the best ecosystem of any editor available.
Writing & Notes
Notion — For project notes, docs, and anything that needs to be shared with a team.
Obsidian — For personal notes and long-form thinking. Local markdown files, full control.
Utilities
CleanShot X — Screenshots and screen recordings done right. Annotate, copy, upload — all in seconds.
Mimestream — Gmail client built for macOS. Feels native in a way the web app never will.
Bartender 5 — Keeps the menu bar clean and manageable, especially on the notched MacBook Pro.
This list is personal — tools I pay for and use every day. No sponsorships.